While I have no backing to support my views, English speaking countries used the term 'centigrades' being 100 *grades or graduations* between freezing and boiling poits of Water (Zero to 100 degree). Thus, Degree centigrade got its name to be 'the graduation - 1/100th of temperature difference between freezing to boiling point of Water'.
Celcius had been a smaller name for the same temperature interval, to avoid 'confusing status'- and simpler to use! In some of my suggestions, I supported the idea to call the total usable 'temperature interval between *Triple point of Water = ZERO* thro *Boiling point of Water = 100*. This shall make (273.16+100 =373.16K) and when graduated into 100 divisions, each ONE (using New Name) shall be 3.7316K.
Using this and its reciprocal =0.267981563 with any NEW name, the ambiguity can be resolved for all temperature zones!
Regards,
Brij B. Vij TIME: to think Metric!<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <And Calendar too>
From: "Joseph B. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [USMA:24405] RE: We sponsor a Political Action Committee Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 11:28:43 -0500Carl Sorenson wrote in USMA 24398:
>Where did Centigrade come from? Why was it changed to Celsius?
I don't really have sources for this, but this is what I assume. Centigrade
was defined in terms of the freezing and boiling points of water. Celsius
is (at least currently) defined in terms of Kelvin (which uses the triple
point). Thus, Celsius is tied to SI and centigrade is not, if this is
correct. In practical terms the difference negligible, but Celsius is the
term to use.
My understanding is that Celsius and centigrade are two names for the same thing, which has evolved over time. When I was a tourist in Germany in 1935 the temperature was in Celsius, while in France and English-speaking countries it was centigrade. This was somewhat confusing since some European surveying instruments (Wild of Heerbrugge) measured angles in centigrades.
"CIPM, 1948 and 9th CGPM, 1948:adoption of "degree Celsius"
"From three names (degree centigrade", "centesimal degree", "degree Celsius") proposed to denote the degree of temperature, the CIPM has chosen "degree Celsius" (PV, 21, 88).
"This name is also adopted by the 9th CGPM (CR,64)."
--
Joseph B. Reid
17 Glebe Road West
Toronto M5P 1C8 Telephone 416-486-6071
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